Last Update: 09/21/2006 Printer Friendly Printer Friendly   Email This Page Email This Page  

NICHD Spotlights

Decades of Data - Landmark NICHD Study Releases Another Finding, Expanding Its Productive Legacy
For nearly two decades, the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) has provided evidence-based findings about children and the many environments in which they develop.

NICHD-supported studies offer insight on reducing mother-to-child HIV transmission in resource-poor countries
Two studies supported by the NICHD’s Pediatric, Adolescent, and Maternal AIDS Branch provide families and health care providers in poor countries with evidence-based insight on how to improve infant outcomes and reduce HIV transmission.

Focus on NICHD Women's Health Research
May is Women’s Health Month, a time for the NICHD and other NIH Institutes to highlight their many research activities related to women’s health.

NICHD Scientific Lead on Surgeon General's Conference on Preventing Preterm Birth
The Office of the Surgeon General named the NICHD as the scientific lead for its upcoming conference on the prevention of preterm birth.

In Honor of Eunice Kennedy Shriver
On March 3, 2008, the NICHD formally recognizes the renaming of the Institute to honor Mrs. Shriver's contributions to the Institute’s founding at a special event.

New NIH Research Plan on Down Syndrome
Research on lifelong disorders, such as Down syndrome, has been a fundamental part of the NICHD’s mission since the Institute was established 45 years ago. To build on this research foundation and coordinate Down syndrome research the NIH created its Working Group on Down Syndrome.

The Importance of Nurses
A new continuing education program on sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) from the NICHD, the National Institute of Nursing Research, and other national organizations, aims to capitalize on the unique role that nurses play in our health and health care.

For the Health of All Children
The National Children’s Study announces the addition of new study centers in dozens of communities around the United States.

Milk Matters Online Lesson Resources Available for Teachers
New online lesson resources that stress the importance of calcium for bone health are now available for middle and high school teachers on the Milk Matters Web site.

Preventing Preterm Birth
NICHD-supported research has made great progress in furthering our understanding of preterm birth and possible ways to prevent it.

"Prime" Partnership for NICHD Milk Matters Campaign
New public service announcements, produced in partnership with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), focus on adolescence as prime time for bone growth.

Focus on America's Children
America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2007, a new report from the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, provides a comprehensive view of the current state of the nation’s children and youth.

Treating Pediatric Seizures
Status epilepticus—continuous, unrelenting seizures that continue beyond several minutes—is a serious, life-threatening condition that affects up to 60,000 children and adults in the United States every year.

NICHD Co-hosts Conference on Early Child Development Research
The NICHD, the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research, and the National Center for Education Statistics (U.S. Department of Education) are hosting a three-day conference about the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS).

NICHD and other NIH Institutes aim to prevent obesity and overweight in children
The percentage of children and teens who are overweight has more than doubled in the past 30 years, and 17 percent of American children ages 2 to 19 are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight.

An opportunity to improve the course of children's health
The National Children's Study is expanding and, in preparation, issued a request for proposals (RFP) to support 15 to 20 new Study centers.

Hall of Honor Inductee: Dr. Stanley Cohen
The NICHD Hall of Honor, initiated in 2003 in conjunction with the Institute's 40th anniversary, is inducting long-time grantee and Nobel winner Dr. Stanley Cohen on January 24-25, 2007.

Making Malaria History
NICHD researchers have developed an experimental vaccine that could, theoretically, eliminate malaria from entire geographic regions, by eradicating the malaria parasite from an area’s mosquitoes.

World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse
Abuse of children and adolescents is a complex international problem that seems to defy simple analysis and easy answers.

An End and a Beginning: Landmark Research Network Concludes
When autism was first named in 1943 by Dr. Leo Kanner, it was thought to be a rare condition, occurring in fewer than three children in 10,000.

Focus on NICHD International Health Activities
The NICHD conducts and supports research aimed at addressing international health concerns. As part of these activities, the NICHD is sponsoring the 8th Annual Lawton Chiles International Lecture on Maternal and Child Health in the Americas on September 26, 2006.

Focus on NICHD International Health Activities (Part 2)
The NICHD conducts and supports research aimed at addressing international health concerns. Recent findings from a study conducted by the NICHD Global Network on Women’s and Children’s Health Research have the potential to save thousands of lives by safely treating a leading killer of women in resource-poor settings. Also as part of these activities, the NICHD and the Directorate of Population and Health of the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Morocco are hosting a conference that will bring together experts from around the world to discuss future directions for newborn screening in the Middle East and North Africa.

On the Road to Better Health in Mississippi
Delegations from the NICHD, from the NIH, and from the state of Mississippi will convene in Jackson, Mississippi, later this week to continue a health outreach partnership that began in January 2006. The event will include the official opening of the new NIH Health Information Center at the Jackson Medical Mall, among other activities.

Zeroing in on preeclampsia
The NICHD has been researching preeclampsia for decades, trying to zero in on the condition’s cause, which could lead to a cure or to preventing it from occurring in the first place. Research shows that high levels of two proteins in the blood of pregnant women appear to indicate the subsequent development of preeclampsia.